SPONSORED: eHarmony’s VP of Content on How to Build Relationships Through Storytelling

Having worked at eHarmony for seven years, Jeannie’s witnessed it develop into one of the online-dating industry’s most successful companies.

Ahead of her speaking slot at the Content Strategy Summit this September, Jeannie answers our questions about the importance of content for companies.

Do you agree with the phrase “content is king”? If so, why?

I absolutely know that content is king. Everyone is looking for good content, whether it’s a thoughtful blog or an amusing video. There is a demand for it and if you can produce it, that’s a very good thing. People are also rightfully choosy with all of the options out there, so if you have truly good content, you are in a great position.

Content is often interpreted differently from demographic to demographic. Does this mean that you can only create content that’s tailored to one particular audience?

I try to create content that appeals to a wide range of people. I want to reach a big audience. Our goal at eHarmony is to help people be in successful relationships. Nearly everyone could use some good relationship advice, whether you are single, dating, or married. I like to publish content from various experts with different points of view, so we can resonate with as many people as possible.

What do you think is the most effective way to distribute content online?

Various channels will help. You can’t just publish an article to your blog without promoting it. We happen to have a great social media team who will share the various blogs and articles we post through Facebook, Twitter, etc. We also send out two newsletters per month to the eHarmony registrants/subscribers. Having a smart SEO plan also helps, so users find your articles through organic searching.

How did you go about choosing a tone of voice and how important has this been to your content strategy?

The tone of voice really comes down from the overall mission and brand of eHarmony, which is here to help everyone find love and relationship success. The tone of our content is helpful, thoughtful, smart, sometimes lighthearted, and can be very straightforward and direct as well. Again, different types of advice are going to appeal to different people, so I try to have enough variety that we capture everyone’s attention.

What do you think is the most important type of content (videos, articles, etc.)?

It depends on what type of website you are working with. When I managed wedding websites, it was all about beautiful photos. That is what brides wanted to see! When I was at Entertainment Tonight, it was also very concentrated on photos, but videos were also very popular. Interestingly, Advice is very different. It’s all about blogs and articles for this particular niche so far.

Are there any companies whose content strategies you particularly admire?

I love Red Bull. Their marketing is brilliant. Their drinks aren’t bad either!

What can the delegates expect from your presentation at the Content Strategy Innovation Summit?

I had an interesting challenge when eHarmony executives decided to stop running ads on our website. I had to find a way to monetize the content on Advice. Being a subscription service, we did place registration areas on the site, but I had to drive people there with thoughtful content. This took some time, but is now generating several million dollars per year. That is why we say content is king!